1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to motorcycle sidecars. More particularly, the invention relates to sidecars adapted for use by wheelchair-bound persons. Still more particularly, the invention relates to sidecars which, when operatively connected to the motorcycle, enable the operator to maneuver the motorcycle-sidecar unit in forward and reverse directions.
2. Background of the Invention
Since the Vietnam War, when large numbers of young men returned home with service-related physical disabilities, society has placed an ever-increasing emphasis on integrating these and other handicapped people into the cultural mainstream and into the work force. One major problem in their paths has been the lack of adequate transportation. For a wheelchair-bound person, the inability to go from place to place without the assistance of other people or expensive modified vehicles deprives him or her of potential jobs and social pursuits, and, perhaps more insidiously, fosters a frustrating sense of dependence and inability to cope with the world.
To address this problem, devices have been developed that are useful aids to paraplegics and other wheelchair-bound persons in getting around with minimal assitance from others. For example, self-propelled wheelchairs, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,822, have been developed. They are primarily useful indoors, and greatly augment the mobility of the handicapped. However, this type of chair is neither safe nor effective for road or highway purposes. Alternatives have been designed which link the wheelchair to a tractor or to a single powdered-wheel assembly. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,710,659 and 3,912,032. This avoids some of the disadvantages of the self-propelled wheelchairs; however, they do not satisfy the safety, power or maneuverability requirements of an effective road transportation device for the handicapped. Self-propelled vehicles that allow the entry of a wheelchair via a ramp are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,204,791 and 3,921,740. Such devices lack the engine power and reinforced construction necessary to permit their safe operation on the highways, and they are intended only for low-speed or indoor use.
Various apparatus are known that modify the controls of a conventional automobile for use by paraplegics; vans and pickup trucks with ramps or hydraulic lifts or hoists are also manufactured for this purpose. Some require the handicapped user to lift himself or herself out of a wheelchair and into the vehicle, and then require them to lift and stow the wheelchair onboard for use at the destination point. Such maneuvers are potentially dangerous, and require levels of strength and dexterity that many handicapped persons do not possess, particularly those who are older or more seriously disabled. Additionally, such modified vehicles may frequently be prohibitively expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,276 discloses a motorcycle sidecar having a ramp to permit the driver to enter in a wheelchair. The operating controls are transferred from the motorcycle to the sidecar, thereby permitting the sidecar rider to operate the motorcycle's controls. Dependence on the assistance of other people is not eliminated, however. Because a motorcycle is designed to operate only in a forward direction, the motorcycle-sidecar unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,276 also operates only in a forward direction. Thus, when the unit must be backed up, for example, to avoid an obstacle, to parallel park, or to leave a parking space, the unit must be physically pushed backward by a nonhandicapped person. The lack of reverse capability limits the usefulness of that device and adversely affects the ability of its handicapped driver to safely operate the unit in traffic. A motorized sidecar for attachment to a bicycle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,879; this device is not adapted for highway use or handicapped people, nor does it operate in reverse.
There is a substantial need to provide a means of totally independent transportation for handicapped people that is highway safe, inexpensive, highly fuel efficient, simple to control, simple and inexpensive to maintain, fully functional in the reverse direction with a simple and independent drive unit, and that has a highly effective suspension system to prevent the exacerbation of spinal injuries. Surprisingly, and despite the long-felt need for such apparatus, no appropriate vehicle exists. No sidecar, attached to a conventional motorcycle, that provides the necessary reverse operating capability is known to the present inventors.
A sidecar that is easily attachable to a conventional motorcycle and that economically provides added mobility through reverse operation would also be highly useful to nonhandicapped persons. Significant military uses exist for such a device. Given the recent developments in conventional weapon warfare, effective and highly mobile anti-tank weapons systems must be developed to counter, in relatively short periods of time, large armor concentrations of aggressor forces in small geographic areas. Our current assessment of Soviet armor, for example, shows a massive inventory of armor. A high speed anti-armor motorcycle sidecar weapon system offers an excellent quick response defense against such a concentrated armor attack. The low cost per unit and reduced man-to-weapon ratio makes it extremely cost-effective, and through greater mobility minimizes deployment problems associated with field computer guidance systems for the wireguided anti-tank missile. Additionally, a machine gun could be mounted on the sidecar and the sidecar used to carry ammunition, thereby enhancing attack team mobility while reducing fuel consumption. The sidecar could also carry several tow/dragon wire-guided antitank missiles that normally require a two-man team per missile. The sidecar flooring can carry a computer tracking system for a contingent of missiles, or a plurality of independent tracking systems coupled to a single sighting system. For these purposes, the reverse capability of the unit would permit the efficient transportation of heavy or strategic loads, without requiring the rider to dismount in inclement or hostile environments or to possess sufficient strength to push the unit backwards.
The unit would also provide a highly economical and convenient vehicle for routine purposes. Tradespersons, who transport bulky equipment like tool chests or who transport food products requiring thermal insulation, could modify the sidecar into a utility carrier to accomodate their cargo.